Grow up, Mo, and get lost, Jimbo!
09/11/2003
Griffin Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
I am sick of hearing about Maurice Clarett. I am sick and tired of hearing Jim Brown discuss the Clarett issue. I am sick of his entire "posse," led by "adviser" Brown, making apologies for this punk. I don't know about you, but when I am choosing an "adviser," I tend to shy away from guys who throw women off balconies or chase them around and smash their cars in. (Although I must confess, I did grab the Jim Brown mini-helmet I had on my mantle and smashed it to pieces when I heard some of Brown's comments regarding this issue. Obviously those anger management sessions aren't exactly working just yet....)
Let's look at the facts of the Clarett case before the rest of my rant:
Clarett was suspended because of allegations of accepting improper benefits and for misleading investigators. The NCAA and Ohio State began an investigation in July into Clarett's claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen in April from a 2001Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Clarett had borrowed from a local dealership. In addition, he received "extra benefits worth thousands of dollars," according to investigators.
On to the rant.
Let me ask you, how often have you "borrowed" a car from a dealership? And if you did, would you have the gall to lie about what was inside it to the police after some items were stolen in order to make a few bucks? And let's say you did do something like this -- would you really tell them that $10,000 worth of crap was in the car? Ever hear of a RED FLAG, MO-RON Clarett?
So what does his estranged Daddy, Myke (don't ask me, that's the way he spells it), have to say about this situation? Let's see...I hope you're sitting down because if this pisses you off as much as it did me, you're gonna fall right over on your ass when you read this. But Daddy, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, said the family is "examining filing a lawsuit for negligence" against Jacob Chapa, the automobile dealer from whom Clarett obtained the car that precipitated his NCAA troubles.
"To watch him crash and burn like this is very painful," Myke Clarett said. "If it was wrong for him to accept a cell phone and other favors, what about the people who provided those things?
"The gentleman who provided Maurice the car, he came out of this unscathed. But Maurice is ruined. The university and the coaching staff did not provide anybody to help him handle the stardom aspect of playing at Ohio State. Their response to him was, 'Just say no.'"
CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT THIS SORRY PIECE OF CRAP, WHO HAS THE NERVE TO CALL HIMSELF A FATHER, SAID? It's as though "just say no" is a bad piece of advice. I guess if good 'ol Daddy Myke was around a little more when Maurice was growing up, the kid would probably be even more screwed up than he is today. Hey Myke and all the rest of you apologists out there, ever hear of the word RESPONSIBILITY? Did they force Clarett to take this stuff? Is he a helpless baby or something?
Let's move on to the other two idiots in this debacle: Jim Brown and Grambling coach Doug Williams.
im Brown said Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger "seems to have another agenda." Brown also complained that he's not being treated with respect by Ohio State in his role as Clarett's adviser, saying Geiger has been dismissive of him. "When I am being respected by a mother and son and they are giving me that respect, then I doggone expect to be respected by an athletic director," Brown said. "When you have the power to destroy a kid's life, you have to be gracious in your investigation. I think Andy Geiger wants to start a revolution. He is acting like a slave master. If Andy Geiger wants to act like God, then this ballgame is over," Brown was quoted as saying.
Brown said Geiger and Ohio State seem to be trying to demonize Clarett for other problems at the school.
If you read between the lines, you'll realize that Brown is the only one with an agenda in this case -- and it's not to help a younger man in trouble. It's all about Jim Brown. Playing the race card, which is the true definition of intellectual laziness in today's society, is what this worthless bum resorts to when he realizes he doesn't have anything logical or relevant to say, which is quite often for him. Instead of telling Clarett to, in Don Corleone's words, "START ACTING LIKE A MAN!"...he tells him, like Myke, to run as far away from accepting any personal responsibility for his actions as he can.
Now for the third stooge in this story -- Doug Williams.
This dolt, who now coaches Grambling, said, "A lot of people would like to have Maurice Clarett. I don't think a headache comes with the kid. He didn't shoot nobody. They didn't arrest him for drugs. He didn't rape nobody. Ain't no problem with the kid."
What intelligence. What logic. What class. What character. I guess actions are supposed to be judged with the lowest common denominator in mind these days. You can bet your ass that legendary former coach Eddie Robinson wouldn't make such a ridiculous comment. Not only is it a slap in the face to all the college athletes who play by the rules, it's also a slap in Coach Robinson's face.
I don't want to get on my righteous soapbox here, because I know Clarett deserves a second chance. But how is he supposed to learn from his mistakes when he has bums like Brown, Myke, and Doug Williams around him?
Here's what happened. He was jealous of his boy LeBron getting all the attention and adulation, so he decided to get his share. The ego and greed within him took control and made him do things a rational, mature person would never even consider. Again, I don't want to get all righteous on you, because God knows I've done some stupid things in my life, but where is the one person in his life who will teach him the difference between doing the right and wrong things?
His true friend in this is his coach.
Jim Tressel is the only one who is teaching this kid that if you screw up, there are consequences. Coach Jim Tressel has more decency and class in his pinkie than Mo's posse combined. Will suspending Clarett for a year ruin the chances for the Buckeyes to repeat as National Champs this season? Absolutely. But Tressel knows if he lets him get away with this stuff once, it's only a matter of time before the same thing, or something worse, happens in the future. Just ask Bobby Bowden or Tom Osborne. They looked the other way when their players committed wrongs. Yes, they won titles, but they had to throw out their principles while doing so. Tressel had the chance to do that in this case, but he chose the right path.
I am not sure about you, but me personally? I would rather sink with a good man like Tressel than swim with the likes of Jim Brown.
Send all questions and comments to shawng@sportsterminal.com.